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New sailing adventures just beyond Georgia Strait

Ferry routes only give a glimpse

This photo was taken at Shark Spit near Uganda Passage.

You can learn to sail in a few days, but it takes a lifetime to master it. The same can be said about B.C.’s vast coast.

You can explore it during a week-long cruise, but you could spend a lifetime getting to know all the secluded beaches, hidden coves, fiord-like inlets and romantic anchorages. Did you know that B.C.’s coastline with all its islands is longer than all of Australia’s coastline?

It’s impossible to write about the entire coast in a short article, but here’s a glimpse into what’s lying beyond the ferry routes we know, behind the bustling marinas and away from the highways we travel. Maybe it will spark some interest to venture out and find your own hidden gem.

Close to home and sometimes ignored, Howe Sound is a paradise of small anchorages just a half-day sail from Vancouver. And you will always find wind.

Even if the Strait of Georgia is becalmed, there is often a breeze blowing through Collingwood Channel between Bowen and Keats Island. Centre Bay on Gambier Island offers many little anchorages, often just big enough for a single boat you will enjoy a quiet sunset sitting in the front row.

Across the Strait of Georgia lie the world-famous Gulf Islands. The climate is often described as Mediterranean. Situated in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island, the islands are much drier than the mainland.

You may want to go treasure hunting around Pirates Cove, where infamous Brother XII is believed to have hidden the gold he amassed during his reign of De Courcy Island. Landing on Wallace Island is a journey back in time. Cabins and even an old pickup truck are silent witnesses of a long-gone time when the island was a resort for the wealthy.

A lesser-known cove lies on the east side of the Secretary Islands. Just big enough for one boat, it offers a beautiful, quiet anchorage. A few years ago, we were taking a siesta on our boat when a full can of Kokanee beer gently knocked against the hull. This anchorage has no official name and we now call it “Kokanee Cove.”

A more open, much larger anchorage, Clam Bay, is nestled between Thethis and Kupper Islands. We enjoyed countless stunning sunsets in this bay. Be carful not to anchor too close to the canal leading to Thetis Island Marina. There is a huge, old anchor sunken in the mud, which has snagged quite a few anchor lines from unsuspecting yachtsmen.

If you feel like civilization again, need to stock up your stores, or are in need for a proper shower, there are countless marinas that can cater to all these needs. My favourite two stops are Ganges Marina on Saltspring Island and Thetis Island Marina and Pub.

Heading north, Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands are favourites among cruisers. Unless you charter a boat in Powell River or perhaps Comox, you will need more than a week to make this visit worthwhile. Cortez Island is the gateway to Desolation Sound. The Gorge on Cortez is a great spot for family sailing. You can find a quite anchorage, but still visit the marina with activities such as live music by the bonfire, kids’ movie night, and even take a plunge in a pool.

If you prefer a more natural setting, don’t forget to take a swim in Cassel Lake at the head of Teakerne Arm. The short hike passes thundering Cassel Falls and you may even spot remnants of old logging gear.

The Heriot Bay Inn (HBI) on Quadra Island, a short sail from Cortez, is inviting for a cold drink on what may be the best patio north of Nanaimo. If you prefer a quiet night, Rebecca Spit offers beautiful anchorage along its sandy shores just across the bay from the HBI.

A few other randomly selected highlights include the mile-high fiords of Princess Louisa Inlet near the head of Jervis Inlet that will take your breath away. For a unique experience, set sail for Mitlenatch Island, at the northern end of the Strait of Georgia. It’s the “Galapagos of B.C.” — a treeless rock, about a kilometre long, that hosts the Strait of Georgia’s largest seabird colony. The last time we visited we saw a seal giving birth — what a breathtaking experience. Closer to Powell River, Savary Island is inviting for a swim in warm water along its white, sandy beaches.

This barely scratches the surface of what is there for you to discover. Beyond Desolation Sound await the calm waters of the Broughton Archipelago, treacherous Johnstone Strait (great for Orca watching in August) and for the ultimate sailing experience, keep pointing the bow of your boat north: Cross the Nahwitti Bar on the way to Cape Scott and get ready for the ride of your life around Vancouver Island. Isolated anchorages, hot springs, the endless surf of the Pacific pounding the West Coast of Vancouver Island, sometimes fog and often relentless gales await the adventurer.

I find Cruising Guides to B.C. by Bill Wolferstan fantastic: These will not only tell you where to find a good anchorage, but have lots of history, information on fauna and flora, great pictures, as well as quotes from the explorers Captain Vancouver, Galiano and Valdes. A great read.

Marina information is somewhat outdated but a complementary copy of the Marina Guide or the current edition of Waggoner Cruising Guide will have all current information needed.

Christof Marti is the owner of Simply Sailing School in Vancouver (simplysailing.ca) and is a director on the Board of BC Sailing. Trained as an engineer and with an MBA in finance, Christof is also a qualified sailing instructor and a certified Yachtmaster. He will be filing reports from B.C.’s coastal waters over the season.

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